Bushfires turn Big Apple into Big Smoke

New York was enduring the worst air quality index of any major city in the world. New Delhi was the second-worst.

The Chrysler Building is blanketed in a yellowish haze. Picture: Getty Images

Smoke from Canadian bushfires have shrouded New York in a record-breaking apocalyptic smog as cities along the US east coast ­issued air quality alerts, and thousands of residents in Canada were forced to evacuate their homes.

The Big Apple’s mayor urged residents to stay indoors as the thick haze of pollution cast an eerie, yellowish glow over Manhattan’s skyscrapers, delayed flights, and forced the postponement of major sporting events.

More than 100 million people across the northeastern US, and extending west to Chicago and south to Atlanta, were under pollution warnings after the smoke drifted hundreds of kilometres from Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency said.

In Canada itself, the devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was the worst bushfire season ever recorded in Canada.

“It smells like someone is doing a barbecue,” said Nicha Suaittiyanon, a 30-year-old tourist to New York City from Thailand, who complained of itchy eyes.

IQAir.com, which tracks air quality around the world, said New York – normally known for its piercing blue skies – was enduring the worst air quality index of any major city in the world.

New Delhi, notorious for its pollution, was the second-worst.

New York is normally outside the top 3000 worst cities for pollution, according to the website.

AirNow, another monitor, said the Big Apple’s AQI reached a hazardous level of 413 at 5pm, just short of the scale’s 500 maximum.

NASA scientist Ryan Stauffer said the Big Apple had broken its previous AQI high, set 21 years ago. New York City health commissioner Aswin Vasan said it was experiencing its worse air quality since the 1960s, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it an “emergency crisis” that could last several days.

All outdoor activities at New York City’s public schools were suspended, with mayor Eric Adams urging city dwellers to limit outdoor time to “the absolute necessities”. “This is not the day to train for a marathon,” he said.

The smog enveloped the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, with the Federal Aviation Administration saying it had slowed air traffic to and from the city’s airports due to reduced ­visibility.

Major League Baseball postponed the game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox as well as the Phillies’ home game against the Detroit Tigers due to poor air quality. The WNBA and the National Women’s Soccer League also announced postponements.

In Washington, authorities warned that the air quality was “unhealthy for people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens” and cancelled all outdoor activities in public schools, including sports lessons.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the situation was an “alarming example of the ways in which the climate crisis is disturbing our lives”.

In Canada, more than 11,000 locals have already been evacuated from Quebec province, now the epicentre of the disaster, with another 4000 expected to flee by the end of Wednesday, local time.

US President Joe Biden said more than 600 US firefighters and other personnel, along with equipment, have been deployed to Canada to help battle the blazes.

AFP